Scientific name: Aster novi-belgii L. xe2x80x98Dukasterxe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Dukasterxe2x80x99 is related to xe2x80x98Dynasterxe2x80x99 (copending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/426,849 filed May 1, 2003) and xe2x80x98Diamasterxe2x80x99 (copending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/426,847 filed May 1, 2003), which are all aster varieties developed from similar breeding programs.
xe2x80x98Dukasterxe2x80x99 is a product of a breeding-program that had the objective of creating new Aster cultivars, which can be grown as pot plants and propagated by means of cuttings from cuttings, similar to the cultivation and propagation of all year round chrysanthemum. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of an Aster plant. xe2x80x98Dukasterxe2x80x99 is a seedling from a cross in a breeding program maintained under the control of inventor. The female parent is an unnamed seedling not available to inventor for description. The male parent is unknown, being a mixed population of a group of male parents. To the knowledge of the inventors, both the female parent and the male parent are unpatented. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Harry W. M. van Straalen in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in Rijsenhout, Holland in 1998. The first act of asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98Dukasterxe2x80x99 was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 1999 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, Holland.
The present invention is a new and distinct variety of Aster bearing medium sized blooms with pink ray-florets and yellow disc florets, which can be propagated by a cutting from a cutting and produced as pot plants in 8 weeks time.